Barry University cited among nation's best in student return on investment

Barry University was recently cited among the nation’s best colleges and universities for student return on investment (ROI) by three major collegiate rankings. Barry was named to the Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges and highly-ranked in two ROI-based classifications by AffordableCollegesOnline (AC Online).

For the sixth year, Forbes has partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP) to produce the list of the best 650 undergraduate schools in the U.S. The Forbes list distinguishes itself from others based on output rather than input. It places great importance on ROI: What are students getting out of college?

This is the third consecutive year Barry has been included on the list which uses a variety of sources to calculate the rankings.

To produce the list, the CCAP gathered data from a variety of sources, using 12 factors to calculate rankings, each of which falls into one of five general categories that are weighted differently. The categories include student satisfaction (22.5%), post-graduate success (37.5%), student debt (17.5%), graduation rates (11.25%), and nationally competitive awards (11.25%).

In addition to the Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges, Barry was cited in two rankings by AC Online. Barry ranked No. 4 among the “Highest ROI Colleges in Florida,” and No. 23 among the “Top 36 Most Affordable Roman Catholic Colleges with High Starting Salaries for Graduates.”

AC Online’s list of colleges with the highest ROI in Florida ranks the 24 colleges in the state where degrees pay off the most. According to AC Online, students who graduate from these colleges earn more over their lifetimes, on average, than graduates from other Florida institutions.

With its No. 4 ranking, Barry is the highest-rated school in South Florida and the highest-rated religiously-affiliated university on the list. Barry ranked higher than all the public schools in the state with the exception of the University of Florida.

To assemble its list, AC Online analyzed 30 years of salary history compiled in PayScale.com’s 2013 College Earnings Reports for 397 universities in Florida. In addition, AC Online examined education and income-related data from the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS), The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and The Carnegie Foundation.

In AC Online’s list of colleges with high starting salaries for graduates, the organization analyzed more than 200 Roman Catholic universities in the United States and ranked the 36 that provide students the biggest return on investment in the form of high starting salaries after graduation.

Barry ranked 23rd on the list, with graduates earning an average starting salary of $39,700. Barry is the highest-ranked school in Florida and one of only three Dominican universities named to the list.

To compile the list, AC Online reviewed four-year, fully-accredited, Roman Catholic institutions with average starting salaries for graduates of more than $30,000 per year. AC Online also reviewed mid-career salary averages as well as the overall return on investment for the degree. The list of schools meeting these criteria was compiled by the NCES, IPEDS, the Carnegie Classification, and Payscale.com.